President George W Bush on Monday cited
the need to honour members of the military, as he remembered those killed in US
wars in a service marking Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetary near Washington, reported dpa.
In his last remarks as president on the holiday to remember war dead, Bush
emphasized the sacrifices of those who have died in the past year in the
conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We offer a solemn pledge to persevere and to provide the security for our
citizens and secure the peace for which they fought," he said to those
marking the occasion at the military cemetary. He first laid a wreath at the
Tomb of the Unknowns, as a military bugler performed Taps, traditionally played
at military funerals.
"It is a solemn reminder of the cost of freedom that the number of
headstones in a place such as this grows with every new Memorial Day," he
said. "In a world where freedom is constantly under attack, and in a world
where our security is challenged, the joys of liberty are often purchased by
the sacrifices of those who serve a cause greater than themselves."
More than 4,000 troops have died in Iraq and nearly 500 in Afghanistan during the conflicts there, according to US military figures.
Memorial Day, which falls on the last Monday of May each year, is marked by
parades and services to remember US war dead and has also become the unofficial
beginning of the US summer holiday season.
...